| Make Two Rooms Into One: Install Outlet, Patch Wall, Install Base Cabinet and Reroute Air Vent |
From "Weekend Remodeling"
episode WKR-110 |
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Prep Work, Drywall Removal and Cutting Studs for New Soffit = 3 hours
Build New Soffit, Place Electrical Boxes for Lights and Drywall New Soffit = 4 hours
Install Outlet, Patch Wall, Install Base Cabinet and Reroute Air Vent = 4 hours
Install Countertop and Trim, Paint, and Hang Lights = 5 hours
Total hours = 16 On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult, this project is a solid 3. We spent $1,200 on this project and if you hired a contractor, the cost would be approximately $2,100. Materials: Hammer
Crowbar
Level
Drywall knife
Speed square
Cordless circular saw
2 x 4's
1 x 10's
Nails
Screws
Primer
Paint
Saw for removing studs
Countertop
Lights
Electrical boxes - To install an outlet at the end of a counter, measure and mark the location for the new outlet box. Then, trace the box and cut out the opening.
- Cut out an access hole that you know will be covered by the cabinets after they are installed. Then, cut a trench in the drywall between the existing non-metallic building electrical wire and the access hole (figure A) -- this way the non-metallic building electrical wire won't get pinched by the cabinets.
- When you get past the stud, feed the non-metallic building electrical wire into the hole and up to the new location; then feed the non-metallic building electrical wire into the new box (figure B).
- Install the new box into the wall and pull it against the drywall by tightening the screws.
- If there is an outlet on both sides the wall, instead of capping one off you can connect both legs to the receptacle (figure C). Strip the wires and connect the black wires to the brass terminals, the white wires to the silver terminals and the ground wires to the green terminal.
- Put the receptacle in the box, the cover plate back on and turn the breaker back on.
- Measure for and then install the 1 x 10's that will stop at the counter top and the longer side jamb (figure D).
- Install a 2-1/4 inch door casing and use 1-1/2 inch finishing nails to attach them to the walls. Nail the bottom and work your way up the jamb (figure E), moving the casing as you go. Nail it in place across the top on both sides.
Expert Tip:Renting a power nailer for a small job may seem like an unnecessary expense, but when you consider the time and energy you save by not using a hammer you may find out the money was well spent. Note: Knocking out the partition wall makes it a much more usable space. The new soffit is a good way to deal with not having to patch the ceiling. To cover the floor where the wall is with base cabinets and a counter takes care of not having to patch the floor. In addition, it adds character and makes the room more functional. - Find the wall studs and transfer the measurements to the cabinets.
- Place 1-/4 inch shims on the sides of the cabinets and secure them to the wall (figure F ). On the show, the difference of height from the kitchen to the subfloor where the wall was measured 1/4 inch. A shim was placed on the subfloor and nailed in place.
- Before setting the second cabinet in place, mark and cut out a hole in the toe kick for a new air register.
- Remove the old floor vent and install a pre-made air duct that will divert the HVAC to the new register (figure G).
- Place the second counter over the air vent. Align the 2 cabinets so that they are flush and then align them so that they are level.
- Place shims under the back edges just as before to make sure they are even.
- Place a clamp on the cabinets to hold them together.
- Use an angle drill with a 1/8th inch bit and pre-drill through the sides of the cabinet (figure H) at both the top and the bottom. Use a counter sink so that the screws will go in flush with the wood. Use a longer bit to make sure you mark the other cabinet.
- Remove the second cabinet and pre-drill the one next to it. Attach the cabinets together with wood screws. Repeat the process for the last cabinet.
- Place 1/2-inch spacers between the cabinets at the back so they will remain flush and nail them in place (figure I).
Expert Tip: Whenever you have several cabinets side-by-side that are joined together by a single countertop, tightening them together and creating a single unit will stabilize and strengthen the base.
RESOURCES :
Walls and Ceilings: Build, Remodel, Repair
ISBN: 1580110304
Author: Christopher Hoolihan
Order this title from Amazon.
Creative Homeowner Press
Website: www.creativehomeowner.com
Cabinet (My Cabinet Shop)
My Cabinet Shop
Phone: 865-755-3525
Ortho's All About Cabinets and Countertops
Model: 0897214765
Author: Ortho Books Editor
(August, 2002)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Ortho Books
Columbus, OH 43216
Carpentry, Remodeling, Framing and Installing Doors and Windows ...
Model: 0865737215
Author: Cy Decosse
(1992)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Creative Homeowner Press
Website: www.creativehomeowner.com
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